IRVING, Texas – A Pioneer Football League record 55 student-athletes were named to the 2018 NFF Hampshire Honor Society, released by the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame.

The 2018 NFF Hampshire Honor Society is comprised of college football players from all divisions of play who each maintained a cumulative 3.2 GPA or better throughout their college careers. An all-time high 1,251 players from a record-tying 302 schools qualified for membership in the society's 12th year.

The NFF Hampshire Honor Society capitalizes on the NFF's National Scholar-Athlete program by greatly expanding the number of scholar-athletes the NFF can recognize each year. The program further strengthens the organization's leadership role in encouraging academic performance by the student-athletes at the 778 colleges and universities with football programs nationwide.

The 1,251 players honored in 2018 sets a new high water mark, eclipsing the previous record of 1,103 honorees in 2017. The 302 schools with members ties the previous mark also set in 2017.

The initiative has now honored 8,994 student-athletes since its inception, and the program has experienced growth every year in either members or school participation since its launch in 2007.